International child abduction

Every year more than 200 children are abducted in the Netherlands by one of their parents and taken abroad, or abducted abroad and taken to the Netherlands. What usually happens is that the father or mother takes the child with them without the other parent’s consent. Or they may leave the child behind after a holiday or family visit. In rare cases, the child may be abducted by a different family member. In the Netherlands the Central Authority for International Children's Issues deals with requests from parents for their child (up to the age of 16) to be returned to the place where they normally live.